Eater NOLA's Guide To Jazz Fest Guides

Welcome to New Orleans, Jazz Festers! Yes, the time of year when The Fess takes over the Fair Grounds, spilling out into the Faubourg St John, is splendid. The entire city shifts into Jazz Fest mode, but those expensive weekends of music, partying, and feasting are difficult to navigate through. Other than the basic music questions—"Who should I make sure I catch at the Fess?" To which the obvious answer is everyone—people can be left overwhelmed with the options, wondering what the best bets are both during the Fest and across town.

Luckily, everybody (and their mawmaw) is out with SEO-friendly guides to help answer these questions. Of course, the sheer quantity of these guides can become daunting in its own right. So to help sift through all these guides, here is Eater NOLA's Guide to Jazz Fest Guides.

Jazz Fest 2013 A to Z: This is Offbeat's encyclopedic guide to all the acts. Use this as a last-ditch resource for the seriously obscure acts. [Offbeat]

Odds and Ends of the Fair Grounds: A printable map, daily schedule, what you can/can't bring, and all that newbie fester stuff. Plus, Ian McNulty's "sleeper food" picks and a full schedule of the cooking demos are available. [Gambit]

Where to Find a Secret Spot to Dine: Yes, even Vogue gets in on the hot Jazz Fest action, offering recommendations for off-the-grid dining, which is helpful for those staying in the Bywater especially. [Vogue]

A Survival Guide For College Kids: What shows to catch, bites to eat, stuff to bring, clothes to wear, and other tips from Loyola's The Maroon. Three "experts," ranging from college sophomore to a professor going on 21 years of Jazz Festing, weigh in on preparing for your collegiate fess experience. [TheMaroon]

What Not to Wear: Katherine McGuire's helpful list of Fashion Dont's may save you from ruining your favorite pair of flip flops, or being a unwilling contestant in mother nature's wet t-shirt contest. [NoDef]

After Hours Coverage: NoDef also offers complete daily listings of shows after the fest has closed and you've showered in tiny bottles of six hour energy drink. [NoDef]

Post Fest Feasting: Kim Ranjbar offers her take on the best dining options around Bayou St. John/Mid City, though be prepared to wait for available seating at any of these places. [WhereY'at]

Guide to Parking, Tickets, Security, Transit, Accessibility and Other Stuff Ya Dad Likes: Chris Waddington will be your father figure, or at least an avuncular informative, with all the details about parking, staying safe, getting around, and other non-fun, but important fest stuff. [TP]

All You Need to Know About Fest Feasting: The Times-Pic has all the food coverage your heart desires. They really do cover everything from Chopped champions cooking at the fest, to the best food areas, cooking demos, and you can also see pictures of what most of the food looks like. [TP]

Best Bets for Grazing: Every year the Times-Pic sends out their feelers to decided on the best bets for food around the Fair Grounds. There are over 70 food vendors at the fest, and the paper loves picking favorites. If you don't want to feel like a tank after festing, here are some 'lighter' options. [TP]

Where to Spend the Big Bucks: Forbes once again aims their guide toward the ballers and whales, with a slew of ways to spend a lot of money from VIP passes, parties, luxury hotels and more. [Forbes]

· All Jazz Fest Coverage [-ENOLA-]